Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women - Book Review

 

'Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women celebrates the incredible and inspiring stories of 25 women leaders in politics, business, sports, activism, and more, all written in fairy tale form. It is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.

'Reach for new heights with Vice President Kamala Harris. Organise voter registration with Stacey Abrams. Spread messages of kindness with Lady Gaga. And captain a team of Olympic gymnasts with Aly Raisman.  

'This collection of 25 stories includes the most beloved stories of leadership from the first three volumes of the New York Times best-selling series, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. And also features 11 brand new tales of women’s activism, bravery, and vision.'

Let's be honest, women rock, but they don't really get celebrated like they should be. Often throughout history women have been overshadowed, and their achievements have been ignored, and sadly this still happens today. Thankfully, books like Rebel Girls Lead exist to help highlight women who have achieved amazing things.

This book covers twenty five women from recent times who have excelled in personal achievement, and some who have gone on to change the world for thousands of people. The book has fourteen previously published figures, as well as eleven all new women to celebrate.

Within the pages of this book you'll find brief one page descriptions of some well known people like Angela Merkel, Queen Elizabeth I, Lady Gaga, and Kamala Harris, as well as some figures that you might never have heard of before such as Leymah Gbowee, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and Wilma Mankiller. Whilst the book is aimed at younger readers the variety of people it's celebrating means that even adults will learn something from it. There were several people in the book that I'd never heard of before, and the book spurred me on to go away and read more about these amazing women.

That's really what this book is about, inspiring you to learn more about these overlooked figures, these amazing women who have achieved amazing things. Whilst the descriptions in this book as basic, giving you a broad overview of their lives and achievements, it encourages you to learn more about them, and other women too. It's a gateway into a whole area of history that you may never have considered before, and the lack of knowledge of some of these people will make you want to change how often women get forgotten, and strive for equality. 

The book is also filled with some amazing artwork, and each person covered in it gets their own portrait, each done by a different artist with their own unique style. These images capture the essence of these women, and it makes the book way more interesting than just filling it with photographs. 

Rebel Girls Lead is a great book for any child who wants to learn a little bit about history, as well as any kid who wants to be inspired to push themselves to achieve their dreams. The book is full of stories of people who were told they couldn't do something, who were in situations that they thought would limit them, yet achieved amazing feats; and it's perfect to inspire that kind of drive and determination, no matter what your gender.

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Future State: Catwoman - Comic Review

 

If there's one thing that Future State is teaching me, it's that I absolutely love Ram V's writing, and think he might be my favourite writer at DC at the minute. Whether it's horror futures with Future State: Swamp Thing, magic apocalypse in Future State: Justice League, or now Catwoman doing a train heist, he just seems to be able to make everything work.

This issue follows a similar set up to the other Gotham based Future State books, which is something I really enjoy as some of the Future State stories don't really seem to work together or make complete sense as a whole. With the Magistrate having taken control of the city they're looking to get a stronger hold of Alleytown, and the issue clearly shows how that's affecting everyday people in the city, with the first few pages showing citizens waiting to be loaded onto trains to be relocated. The book very clearly sets the Magistrate up to be villains here, probably more so than any other Future State book, and I think the fact that the imagery is evocative of Nazi's helps a lot with that.

Luckily, Catwoman is on the case and is looking to get onto the train. This is the highlight of the issue, and her heist skills get used in a great way, transferring things that she would have once done to steal stuff into a way of saving people highlighting how far the character has come over the years from villain to hero.

Unlike some other Future State books, Selina feels a lot more like the character we've been reading for a while now too, and it's more the world around her that's changed and who her enemy is. Where other books in the event are changing how characters act it's great to see her still being herself. It's one of the few books that feels like a natural progression of her current series, and it's all the more stronger because of that.

It's also great to see a more human face put onto the Magistrate. They've been a pretty faceless threat so far, with only a couple of characters that seem to have any kind of character to them, but here they actually seem like people. There's some small moments where a faceless guard s dealing with a kid who's asking to go to the toilet and you just get the sense that he's a regular guy just trying to get by. He seems tired and worn down and just wants to get things done so that he can clock off and go home; and it's more character and more humanising that any other portrayal of the Magistrate I've seen.

Otto Schmidt provides the art for the issue, and makes everything look great. Whether it's the wide shots of the processing station where crowds are waiting to be put onto their trains, or the tight confines of the train itself, he's able to breath life into whatever the story dictates. He also makes Selina look great, and I love her new costume, especially the way her goggles retract up into her cowl when needed. It feels very high tech, yet also true to who Catwoman is, and makes sense as something she'd use.

There's some twists and turns in the story, with some surprise characters thrown into the mix that I wasn't expecting, and make things a lot more interesting that the story first appears. It also sets up for what could be one of the more interesting second issues in the Future State Gotham books, and one that I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing resolved.

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Fable by Adrienne Young - Book Review

 

'For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

'But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.'

I've liked Adrienne's work since reading Sky In The Deep when that first came out, and loved the way that she was able to blend fantasy elements with very realistic, grounded worlds, something that she was able to do with her second book, The Girl The Sea Gave Back. When I found out that she was bringing out a new duology, another fantasy series, and that this time it would feature pirates and adventures at sea I was excited to get my hands on the book.

However, I wasn't quite expecting it to be as good as it was, I read the entire thing in a single sitting and was really upset that it ended so soon and I had to wait for the next book; not that the book was short by any means, it's over 350 pages. No, the book just felt too short because it drew me in so much, it made me desperate to find out what happened next and kept reading even when I should have taken a break because the story and the characters were so compelling and engaging that I just couldn't do anything but read it all.

The book follows a young woman named Fable, who has spent the last three years on a remote island, a place home to cutthroats and killers. She was dumped there by her father the day after their ship sank at sea, an event that also caused the death of her mother. She was left with nothing but the clothes she was wearing, a series of cuts her father carved into her arm, and the instructions to survive, to find a way off the island, and to track him down. Since that day Fable has convinced herself that if she can buy her way off the island her father will finally give her the love she desperately craves, and will let her crew on his new ship with him.

Unfortunately, getting off the island is easier said than done. Diving the local reef, Fable has used her strange affinity to gems and precious stones to slowly gather these expensive items, which she's been selling to a trader named West, who visits the island every few weeks. However, her unusual success with her dives, and her mounting pile of coins, has made her a target for some of the islands inhabitants, and when she's forced to fight for her life Fable manages to convince West to take her across the Narrows to her father. But little does she know she's just set out on an even more dangerous journey.

Like I said earlier, this was a book that I had a hard time putting down, and I found myself reading the entire thing in one sitting. Whilst the story was a big part of this, and Young manages to weave a layered and detailed tale across the course of the book, it was the characters that really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading.

Fable herself is probably my favourite of Young's protagonists to date, and I adored how this tough young woman we meet in the first few chapters, a woman who's had to fight every day for years to survive in an environment that would kill most people slowly evolved over the course of the book and showed us that there's more to her than meets the eye. When the story begins Fable is closed off, not trusting anyone, believing that the only person that she can ever rely on is herself. She's unwilling to believe that people would be willing to help others purely out of the kindness of their heart, and that people will always be trying to get something out of you. She's got a pretty cynical outlook, but one that you can understand given the circumstances.

However, after a while we begin to see this hard exterior begin to crack, Fable starts to see that some people actually can care for others, that not everyone is motivated by greed or hatred, and that love and affection can be powerful forces too. West and his crew are a big part of this change in her, and it's brilliant getting to know them as Fable does, seeing this handful of people trying to keep her at arms length to begin with, but watching as they, and her, slowly begin to open up. These interpersonal relationships are one of the highlights of the book, and I adored seeing how these characters got to know each other, and how Fable would come to care for them over time.

It's not all interpersonal relationships, however, we also get regular ships! The book is full of sea action, with big storms, dangerous reefs, dodgy dealings and smugglers, and inter-ship rivalries and vendettas. There's a lot of stuff going on around Fable that the story never feels dull, and you're always waiting to find out what adversity is about to rear its head to get in the way of her plans, whether it's bad weather, or other crews trying to destroy West and his ship. 

The one and only criticism of the book is that it's a duology. This isn't really a bad thing, as it means that we're going to get a whole second book with these characters, and there's promise of big and exciting things to come in the second book, but it means that I have to wait to find out what's going to happen next; and that's just not fair.

I adored this book, and can't wait until the next part in the story comes out. Adrienne Young has once again crafted a story that manages to include brilliant fantasy elements, yet feels grounded and believable, like it could have happened in our own world. She's very quickly become a writer whose work I adore, with three books of hers that are some of my favourites, and a fourth that looks set to join them. If you've never read any of her work before this is the perfect jumping on point, though be warned, you'll end up wanting to read everything she's written by the time you're done.

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Doctor Aphra #7 - Comic Review

 

I enjoyed the first story arc in Doctor Aphra under Alyssa Wong, but it felt like there was something missing in the first story, some kind of spark that I knew the series has had before, but didn't quite click with me for the first five issues. Luckily, whatever it was that didn't feel right for me has been resolved, because the latest issue of the series turned out to be a fun, and a little over-the-top, adventure story.

Some of this new feel might be the inclusion of Sana Starros. Aphra herself has always had an air of chaos around her, something I really like about her, and Starros is very similar in this regard. Whenever the two of them are on the page you always know that they've got some kind of scheme going on, some sort of double-cross or elaborate way to get out of whatever mess they're in; so getting them both together always heightens this to even greater levels.

I also enjoyed the fact that Sana didn't just immediately agree to go along with Aphra, but that it was something the Doctor really had to work on. She had to bug her, to slowly wear away at her and basically annoy her into agreeing to help. In a universe where people seem to be either driven by morals or their willingness to do anything for money it was fun to see this new kind of approach, where a character simply agrees to do something in exchange for some peace and quiet from someone who annoys them.

What also makes this issue feel a lot more fun is the added links to the rest of the Star Wars universe it has. Yes, the first arc had some action take place on Canto Bight, but it wasn't really stand out, we didn't see the heroes going to the same places we saw in The Last Jedi. Here, however, the action takes place on Corellia, which we got to see come to life in Solo. Not only does the art in the issue manage to capture the look and feel of the planet from the film, but the inclusion of Lady Proxima made it feel like we were returning to a place we'd already seen before.

We didn't really need to have Lady Proxima in the book, she doesn't have a major impact on the story, and her role could have been given over to any other character that Wong could have made up, but having her appear helped to ground this issue in a familiar way; plus it was just a lot of fun to see the giant worm again. She feels very much like the character we saw in the film, and Wong was able to capture her perfectly, portraying her as essentially a big worm Fagin. I loved that Aphra was knew enough about Proxima to know to bring a shiny present for her so that she didn't end up being killed. It shows not only that Aphra is a smart woman who's always a step or two ahead, but also gives some insight into how Han was able to keep surviving around her in his past, as she's clearly open to flattery and pretty things, two things we know Han is able to provide whenever needed.

It was also nice to see the appearance of the Unbroken Clan, a group that will be familiar to anyone reading the Bounty Hunters comics also being produced by Marvel. The tiny inclusion of Vukorah, a general in the Unbroken Clan, was enough of a nod to this other series to make me happy, and it brought a small smile to my face when I recognised her. In a world where some people think you need big or explicit referencess or cross-overs to make things seem interconnected it's nice to get these kinds of small things too, ones where it doesn't matter if it's something you don't pick up on, but brings a little extra joy if you do.

Readers also get to check in with Lucky this issue too, and I'm liking the extra attention to his family life the character's getting. It's fleshing out a character who could have easily been a fairly flat antagonist for Aphra, and showing that despite having betrayed her in the first story arc he's probably no better or worse than her, and is simply a man trying to make his way through the galaxy, protecting the people he cares about. It's that king of complexity and moral grey that makes the Star Wars universe compelling.

On the whole there was a lot to enjoy with this issue, and it definitely sets up for more fun stuff to come later on. It's been the most enjoyable issue of Wong's run so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with the characters next.

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Blithe Spirit – Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The latest adaptation of the Noel Coward play Blithe Spirit is released on Sky Cinema this month, and offers a fun distraction for those stuck at home in lockdown.

The plot follows struggling writer Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) who has been tasked with adapting one of his books into a screenplay by his father-in-law, a wealthy film producer. When he and his wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher), take the evening off to try and clear his head they go to visit a medium, Madame Arcati (Judy Dench). Despite seeing her act go wrong, and seeing that she relies on theatrics and trickery to wow her audience, Charles sees a lot in her that he likes.

It’s then that Charles has the idea of working ghosts and mediums into his story, and invites Madame Arcati to his house to perform a seance, so that he can see how she does it. However, things don’t quite go as planned when Madame Arcati accidentally summons the spirit of Elvira (Leslie Mann), Charles’ first wife. Now with her spirit refusing to leave, Charles’ life begins to spiral out of control as his dead wife fights for his attention and affection.

The plot is a bit ridiculous, and the film absolutely leans into how silly things are, and this less than serious tone definitely helps the whole thing land. The film has a sense of silliness throughout, even before the ghost of Elvira arrives on the scene, though once Leslie Mann appears on screen things get turned up to eleven, thanks in no small part to just how hammy she is.

Mann seems to be having a lot of fun playing this part, with her ridiculousness and over the top acting, and it’s not hard to imagine that a lot of her laughter was very real. This is the kind of role that allows the actor to really cut loose and just play around a lot, and she breathes a lot of life into the character of Elvira because of it – which is kind of ironic as she’s never seen alive during the whole film.

The film really relies on this sense of fun to keep you entertained, as the plot itself is pretty thin on the ground, but writers who have adapted Coward’s work have really tried their best to add more to the original play and give viewers something more to keep them entertained. At times this works, such as when we get to follow Madame Arcati as she tries to research a way to get rid of Elvira’s spirit for good, but the arguments that ensue between Charles and Ruth can sometimes get a little grating and feel repetitive, and you’ll probably find yourself shaking your head at the characters at least once or twice as you just beg them to put aside their silly arguments and just talk to each other about the problems they’re facing.

Outside of the characters the film is a genuine treat to look at, with some great production values and exquisite design. The film really uses its 1930’s setting well, with lavishly decorated sets and beautiful costumes to help set the scene. Charles and Ruth’s house is wonderful piece of 1930’s architecture that instantly transports you to the period with very little work being needed, and the various costumes that Elvira cycles through in her ghostly form range from the over the top to the sleek and elegant. Whilst Ruth comes across as a regular, though well off, woman of the 30s, Elvira’s costumes shows how much of a socialite she was, and she conveys a lot of the ‘swinging’ energy of the era well.

Blithe Spirit might not be the best film I see in 2021, but it never really let me down, and kept me entertained throughout, with some laugh out loud moments thrown in too. Because of that, it’s the perfect film to start the new year with, something fun and harmless, that has a great cast having a lot of fun with the material.

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Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1 - Comic Review

Whilst Yara Flor takes over as the new Wonder Woman in both Future State: Wonder Woman and Future State: Justice League, Diana and Nubia are given a chance to shine in two very different stories in Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman.

The first story, written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad with art by Jen Bartel, follows Diana in a distant future where most of the inhabitants of the world seem to have died out, and all but a few of the many DC heroes have fallen. It seems like Themyscira is the last place on Earth with living people that we see, with the last handful of Amazons defending an aged and dying Swamp Thing, who has transformed into a tree. If he falls, the Green dies with him, and all hope for Earth is lost forever.

Unfortunately, it looks like Earth may very well end up falling as Darkseid arrives, looking for one final battle in the face of unstoppable destruction that has already claimed Apokolips. taking the lives of Orion and Big Barda in the process. Now it's down to Diana, her Amazons, and an elderly Superman, to stand against this New God and the destruction of Earth.

This story is one of a couple in Future State that has been set in a very distant time period, where most of the world seems to have died out; the other being Future State: Swamp Thing. Whilst that book was a very grim, almost horror-like book this story takes a very different approach. Despite the world being on the brink of destruction and heroes we know and love dead it still feels like something of a hopeful story, one where there's a lot of beauty in the world still.

A lot of this is down to the quality of art from Jen Bartel, who manages to make every single panel of the story look beautiful. The art has a very gentle feel, and its pastel-like colours and clean lines makes it feel very peaceful, and displays a future full of beauty even in the face of the end of everything. This is even more apparent when the story moves across to Apokolips for a bit, and you see the stark contrast to the darkness of that world. But it's not just down to the art, it's also down to Diana, to her ability to love and see the goodness in all things that leads this hopeless future to still feel like a place worth fighting for, one worth caring about.

The second story, written by L.L. McKinney with art by Alitha E. Martinez and Mark Moralez, is set much closer to the present time of the DC Universe, and sees Nubia stepping up take on the mantle of Wonder Woman in Diana's stead. We see Grail, daughter of Darkseid, searching for artefacts across the world. These seemingly unconnected pieces are being taken from temples and museums, and it's up to Nubia to figure out what connects these things, and why Grail wants them.

This story is more what readers would probably expect from a Wonder Woman title, with our hero involved in magical and mythology based adventures that make her the perfect person to step up and stop the bad guy and save the day. There isn't a huge amount in this issue that you wouldn't expect Diana to do, but there are a few moments that show how Nubia isn't just a stand in, or a coy paste version of the character. We get to see how she differs from her sister, and why she's just as worthy to be Wonder Woman.

There's much more of this story given over to world building and story elements than the first, and we get some interesting backstory on the artefacts that Grail is after, and what she might be intending to use them for, and it doesn't feel as throw away as some of the Future State stories, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is stuff that we may see in some form once Future State is over and the main series books start again with new titles. 

Despite the stories being given the same amount of space it ended up feeling like we didn't spend as much time with Nubia as we did Diana, possibly because the first story seemed to be told so much from her point of view whilst the second had Nubia reacting a lot, rather than being more proactive. Hopefully this is something that will change in the next issue, as I really want to get to know her character better and spend some more time with her.

Overall Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman proved to be an interesting issue, one that showed readers a new version of Diana that still felt true to her character, and may have introduced Nubia to some new readers who've never had the chance to experience her before. 

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Marvel Action: Avengers #2.3 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The latest issue of Marvel Action: Avengers continues to follow the various members of the team as they try to have a relaxing day off from superhero work, yet keep ending up in strange little adventures. This time, the spotlight is given over to Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange.

Whilst the first issue of this new run was less than amazing, the second was a lot of fun, and getting to see Captain America and Squirrel Girl messing around against an ageing villain at a primary school was a lot of fun. As such, I had hoped that this issue would follow a similar vein and try to be another lighthearted and somewhat silly adventure. Whilst this does seem to be the attempt, the execution falls a little flat.      

The story sees Captain Marvel having to step in and help Doctor Strange when the somewhat bumbling criminal White Rabbit, an Alice in Wonderland themed villain, steals Strange’s flying cloak. This set up isn’t too bad, as it sees the Sorcerer Supreme needing the aid of someone who can fly, like Captain Marvel, to catch up with the thief; but once the two of them team-up there’s very little chemistry between them.

Whilst other Avengers have really shone when put together in the previous issues there doesn’t seem to be much here for the characters to work with. Strange simply wants his cloak back, and grumbles about it most of the issue, whilst Marvel seems to only have a mind for food the entire comic, and comes away looking a bit like a cookie obsessed fool for the most part. With how popular the character has been over the years, and being one of the more popular members of the team in comics, and headlining her own books, I was really surprised to see her be treated more like a comedy sidekick than the headlining hero she can be.

Unfortunately, because of this lack of chemistry and weird shift in her character I just couldn’t get into the book, and found most of it to be quite dull, and the story dragged a lot. I know that these are comics designed for younger readers, but part of the great appeal of the Marvel Action line has always been the fact that they can appeal to readers of all ages; but this issue strikes me much more as designed for kids, and kids only. I struggle to see many adults finding it as charming as the series has been in the past.

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Power Rangers #3 - Comic Review

 

Splitting up the Power Rangers comics is one of the best things that Boom! Studios has done with the title, allowing Ryan Parrott to be able to spend the time needed to properly concentrate on both the Mighty Morphin team and the Omega Rangers in their own books. Whilst the Earth bound Rangers deal with a new Green Ranger and the newly empowered forces of Lord Zedd in Mighty Morphin #3, the Omega Rangers have their own issues to deal with as we rejoin them as their ship has been overrun with the weird vampire-like Horrid.

I'd heard Ryan talking about his plans for this series on the Ranger Danger Boom Room, a part of the excellent Ranger Danger podcast, where he said that he was planning on telling shorter stories in Power Rangers, that would go on to make part of the longer Empyreal arc that has driven our heroes off into deep space; as such, I wasn't surprised to see this issue wrap up the threat of the Horrid by the time it came to a close.

Instead of this being a bad thing it actually gives the story a lot more punch, and it feels really well paced. Where other comics try to make stories last anywhere from four to six issues Ryan simply allows it to unfold at its natural pace, and conclude before it begins to feel stale and stretched out. It feels a lot more like the faster paced 20 minute episodes the comics are based upon.

Because of this faster pace the story gets back into the action quite quickly following the dramatic cliffhanger that concluded issue two, and we get to see our heroes back together and forming a plan to save their ship within the first few pages. I like how the characters go about trying to win the day as well, and the fact that everyone has a part to play, even Xi and Yale, who could easily have been relegated to the sidelines. It shows pretty early on that every character in this series matters, and brings something to the table.

The issue is also good for showcasing how cunning and duplicitous Lord Drakkon still is, even without his powers. It's pretty clear by the end of the issue that despite helping the team to take back the ship and survive the day he was still hedging his bets, and would have turned against them if it meant that was the best way for him to survive. Rather than allowing this to build unnecessary conflict, however, the characters simply acknowledge that that's what they've come to expect from him, and it shows that these aren't the flat and one dimensional people they were on the show, but smart adults able to understand complexity, and stepping up to handle it in adult ways.

Despite the fast pace and managing to pack a lot of action into the pages Parrott is also able to deliver some good character moments too. There is the fore mentioned stuff with Drakkon, which plays into Trini's development, as well as getting to see Jason becoming a more confident leader, and Zack opening up to and liking Yale. Whilst all of these developments are welcome ones it's Trini's that's the most interesting, and it adds onto conversations she had with Drakkon last issue. It seems like Ryan is doing a lot to showcase how competent and strong she is, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see her stepping into more of a leadership role over time as the series progresses; she's done so in the past before, and there has been examples of Ranger teams where characters other than the Red Ranger have been in command.

Overall this was an entertaining and engaging issue, one that manages to pack a lot of content into its limited page count, and ends off with a cliffhanger ending that makes me hugely excited to find out what's going to happen in the next issue.

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Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside.

'While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller, atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls. As clans from the north and legionaries from the south tear through her homeland, slaughtering everyone in their path, Hessa strives to win back her goddess' favour.

'Beset by zealot soldiers, deceitful gods, and newly-awakened demons at every turn, Hessa burns her path towards redemption and revenge. But her journey reveals a harrowing truth: the gods are dying and the High Halls of the afterlife are fading. Soon Hessa's trust in her goddess weakens with every unheeded prayer.

'Thrust into a battle between the gods of the Old World and the New, Hessa realises there is far more on the line than securing a life beyond her own death. Bigger, older powers slumber beneath the surface of her world. And they're about to wake up.'

I know the saying is that you should never judge a book by its cover, and as someone who reads a lot of books I know that's good advice; however, I dare anyone to look at the cover for Hall of Smoke to look at this book and not want a copy. Luckily, this is a book that you can judge by its cover, as the content inside is just as bold, and beautiful as the artwork on the front, and is a book that I had a hell of a good time reading.

The story follows Hessa, a young warrior priestess of Eang. The book begins with her having to travel to her goddess' temple to pray for forgiveness for failing to carry out an assassination of a strange traveller that she was instructed to make by Eang herself. Unfortunately for Hessa, whilst she's up the mountain her village comes under attack from the Algatt, a tribe of raiders from the country to the north. By the time Hessa returns home she finds the village in flames and her family dead. This was not just a simple raid, but the exodus of thousands of Algatt, fleeing their home in the wake of a rival force. Now one of the last remaining Eangi priests Hessa sets out to finish her mission and kill this mysterious traveller; but she soon discovers that there is much more going on than she could ever have imagined, and god both new and ancient are awakening across the land.

One of the things that surprised me most about Hall of Smoke was that despite the length of an average novel (400 pages) it really managed to pack the content in, and it at times felt like reading a book twice the length. This was in part due to the amazing amount of world building that Long did, and despite the main bulk of the book taking place in a relatively small corner of this world it felt like a very big universe, one where you could get lost for hours exploring the history and lore. This history is an important part of the story, and over the course of the book the readers get to learn more and more about the pantheon of gods in Hessa's world, both those new and those much more ancient. Learning about these gods and their history is an integral part of both the story and Hessa's journey, and despite the book being packed with great action sequences it was these quiet moments of discovery that really hooked me and drew me in.

Long has managed to create a story that feels incredibly layered and complex, but one that never leaves you confused or feeling lost. Yes, you get a lot of information dropped on you at times, but this information is usually delivered in such a way that we learn of it through Hessa, and her experiences of discovering these secrets, and what they mean to her, makes it much easier to digest than some other lore heavy fantasy novels. We experience everything this way, through Hessa, and whilst not only does she make for a narrator that makes the story and its complex turns easy to follow, but her journey is one of the best I've read for a long while. So many protagonists end their journeys having learnt something, but often they still seem like the same person; Hessa, on the other hand, ends up being a completely different person com the end. She grows in ways that I never expected when I started the book, and by the end I was still desperate to spend more time with her. I wanted to see what this new Hessa would do next, what her life has in store for her come the conclusion. She's the kind of character that I could spend a dozen books reading about and never get bored of her. If this is the only time I get to read about her I'll be a little disappointed that I won't be getting more, but still incredibly happy with the journey I got to go on with her.

Hall of Smoke was a book that I missed in its pre-release hype, one that I wasn't really excited for or thought much about, but it's quickly become one of my favourite fantasy books I've read in a good long while, and one that I know that I'll be shouting about and recommending to a lot of people. The perfect debut novel.

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Future State: Nightwing #1 - Comic Review

 

I have to be honest, I was quite disappointed when I read Future State: Teen Titans, and didn't really like what was done with Dick Grayson in that title, so I'm so glad that there's a dedicated Nightwing title, and that the character gets a chance to shine here.

The issue follows Dick in Gotham under the rule of the Magistrate, a future where Batman is dead, and his allies are either in prison or on the run. Dick has been leading the masked resistance against the forces of the Magistrate, and this has led him to being one of the most wanted men in the city. Thankfully, he seems to be one step ahead of the bad guys, and is able to pick up on the traps being laid for him across the city.

This is one of the more fun parts of the book, seeing this back and forth between Dick and the Magistrate as they set a trap for him, that he easily sees coming, but then it turns out that trap was a ruse and they're secretly tracking him, but he knows this and is using it against them. It's an almost ridiculous back and forth between the two sides, and if it wasn't Dick being several steps ahead I'm not entirely sure I'd buy it; but this is a Dick who's become more like Bruce in order to survive, and this is totally a move that Bruce would make.

That being said, he's still the Dick Grayson that fans will know and love, despite having developed a darker edge, and there are some moments of humour scattered throughout the book to help lighten the mood from time to time. I was also a fan of the meeting between Dick and the new Batman, and liked that there isn't instant hostility between the two of them, some kind of 'you don't have the right to wear that cowl' type argument that would have slowed things down a lot. Instead, Dick seems to understand why this man is doing what he's doing, and accepts that he's genuinely here to do good.

It's also the second title where this new Batman has been better than in his own Future State title, the other being Future State: Justice League. I'm not sure what it is about the character, whether it's down to who's writing him, or if he just seems to work better when coupled with other characters, but seeing him interacting with Dick was more entertaining than the second issue of Future State: The Next Batman.

I've found the Gotham based books in Future State to be either really good or pretty poor, but this issue was a lot of fun. I liked seeing how Dick has changed without Bruce around, but how he's sticking to the mission, trying to live up to his mentors legacy and be a good man. I'm also getting strong vibes in this book that Peacekeeper 01 is going to end up being Jason Todd, and if so I really hope that Dick is the person who he ends up having to face off against.

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